Plurality

The Future of Collaborative Technology and Democracy

By: E. Glen Weyl, Audrey Tang, ⿻ Community

Narrated by: E. Glen Weyl, Audrey Tang, JJ Reynolds-Strange, Kaliya Young, Matt Prewitt, Divya Siddarth, Gisele Chou

Digital technology threatens to tear free and open societies apart through polarization, inequality, and loneliness. But in the decade since the weeks-long occupation of their parliament, a diverse island of resilience has shown another way is possible.

Taiwan achieved inclusive, technology-fueled growth, overcame the pandemic without lockdowns and the infodemic without takedowns, entrusted its people to tackle shared challenges like environmental protection while capitalizing on a culture of innovation to hack the government.

Here, the architects of Taiwan's internationally acclaimed digital democracy share the secret of their success. Plurality harnesses digital tools not to replace humans or trust, but to channel the potential energy in social diversity that can erupt in conflict instead for progress, growth and beauty. From intimate digitally empowered telepathy to global trade running on social networks rather than money, Plurality offers tools to radically enrich relationships while leaving no one behind.

Plurality thus promises to transform every sector from healthcare to media, as illustrated by the way it has been written: as a chorus of open, self-governing collaboration of voices from around the globe. Their work in public on this openly available text shows, as well as tells, how everyone from a devout African farmer to a Hollywood celebrity can help build a more dynamic, harmonious and inclusive world.

E. Glen Weyl is Founder of RadicalxChange, Microsoft Research's Plural Technology Collaboratory, & Plurality Institute & co-author of Radical Markets.

Audrey Tang is the inaugural Minister of Digital Affairs in Taiwan & the inaugural transgender minister in the world.

A global community of dozens collaborated to create this first-ever open-source self-governed book harnessing tools described within.

You are invited to join us at plurality.net.

©2024 E. Glen Weyl and Audrey Tang (P)2024 E. Glen Weyl and Audrey Tang

Atrocious reading takes away from content

I listening to hundreds of audio books, and this is easily the worst one I've ever encountered from a reading perspective.

It seems, the creators of this book created this audiobook practicing the principles that they preach in the content itself.... which is worrying.

how is this that this audiobook was recorded
- without a professional reader
- without professional reading equipment
- in single takes by each reader
- in market awash with repetitions, live corrections, mispronunciation, inconsistent reading cadence, and background noises like drinking water??

An AI could've produced an infinitely better narration. for a book about the future of tech, how did the creators not, at least, pursue this alternative to a professional human reader?

The effort put into the production audiobook does such an incredible disservice to the hard work the authors have put into formulating and crafting these innovative ideas... it casts doubt on the very merit of what they espouse.

I really want to understand and believe in these ideas, but I can't get past how offended I am that anybody would put something of this atrocious quality of narration out there.